(CCCB – Ottawa) – More than 200 Canadian Catholics including many bishops will be participating in the 48th International Eucharistic Congress to be held in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Archbishop Brendan O’Brien of St. John’s and President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Quebec, Archbishop Bertrand Blanchet of Rimouski, Archbishop Émilius Goulet, P.S.S., of Saint Boniface, Archbishop Arthé Guimond of Grouard-McLennan, Bishop Vernon Fougere of Charlottetown, Bishop Albert LeGatt of Saskatoon, and Bishop Noël Delaquis, Bishop emeritus of Gravelbourg will be attending the Congress which is held every four years in different locations around the world to allow Catholic to express and deepen their faith in the Eucharist.

The meeting in Mexico could have a special significance for Canada. On October 17, the closing day on the Congress, the location of the next International Eucharistic Congress in 2008 will be announced.  Most Rev. Maurice Couture, S.V., the previous Archbishop of Quebec, asked the Vatican several years ago to hold the 2008 Congress in Quebec to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the establishment of Quebec City, which became the cradle of Catholicism in North America.

Based on the theme “The Eucharist, Light and Life of the New Millennium”, the 10,000 estimated participants in Guadalajara will be involved in seven days of prayer, catechesis, adoration, public manifestations of their faith and group discussions according to language. The second largest diocese in Mexico, the Archdiocese of Guadalajara has more than five million Catholics. Founded in 1548, it is one of the oldest dioceses in all of North and Latin America with many saints as part of its history.

Related Link:

• 49th International Eucharistic Congress Resources (Quebec City 2008)

(CCCB-Ottawa) The Publications Service of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has published the instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum, on certain matters to be observed or to be avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist.

The CCCB edition includes the four-page presentation of the document by Cardinal Francis Arinze, Prefect of the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, the text of the instruction, and notes from the CCCB liturgy commissions entitled Observations on Redemptionis Sacramentum for the Church in Canada.  The themes of the instruction include: the participation of laity in the celebration of the Eucharist, the proper celebration of the Eucharist, communion under both species and liturgical abuses.

The booklet is available in 8 ½ by 11 inch format with large margins for making notes for study purposes.  It is available at $6.95 each for 9 or fewer copies; $5.95 each for 10 to 24 copies; and $4.95 each for 25 or more copies.

In addition, CCCB Publications is distributing the Mediaspaul edition of the encyclical letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia in English and French at $3.95 a copy.  This encyclical by Pope John Paul II explores the relationship of the Eucharist with the Church.

Both booklets may be ordered by telephone at 1-800-769-1147, by fax at 613-241-5090, online at http://www.cccbpublications.ca/ or by email at publi@cccb.ca.

(CCCB – Ottawa) – The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) will be holding its annual Plenary assembly in Cornwall, Ontario, October 19-23, 2004.

More than 80 bishops from across Canada are expected to attend the meeting to review pastoral activities from 2003-2004, and to discuss new projects and activities for the next few years.

The agenda includes the selection of delegates to attend the Synod of Bishops in Rome in 2005 on the theme of the Eucharist, a presentation on the third typical edition of the Roman Missal and the Instruction Liturgiam Authenticam (on the use of vernacular languages for the Roman Liturgy), and a discussion on the implementation of the instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum (on certain matters to be observed or to be avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist).

The Bishops will also hear progress reports on a number of ongoing projects, including the Special Taskforce on the review of the document From Pain to Hope.

The CCCB is the national assembly of the Bishops of Canada. It supports the bishops in their work by developing resources and providing specialists in different areas such as Christian unity, theology, liturgy, social affairs, Christian education and communications. The CCCB is involved in matters of national and international scope, and provides the bishops a forum where they can share their experience and insight on the life of the Church and the major events that shape society.

Related Links:

• 2004 Plenary Agenda
• 2003 CCCB Plenary Assembly

(CCCB-Ottawa) His Holiness Pope John Paul II today named Rev. Robert Anthony Daniels, currently Vicar General of the Diocese of London, as Titular Bishop of Scebaziana and Auxiliary Bishop of London. He will assist Most Rev. Ronald Fabbro, C.S.B., the current bishop of London in his pastoral duties.

Born in 1957 in Windsor, Ontario, Bishop-elect Daniels studied at St. Peter’s Seminary in London, and received masters of divinity from the University of Western Ontario. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 7, 1983 for the Diocese of London and was assigned to two parishes: St. John the Divine and St. Peter’s Cathedral Basilica. In 1989 he was named diocesan chancellor, and four years later vicar general and moderator of the curia. At the moment of this nomination, he was also Rector of St. Peter’s Cathedral Basilica.

The Diocese of London, the sixth largest in Canada, has a Catholic population of 444,310 in 167 parishes and missions, served by 160 diocesan priests, 71 religious order priests, three permanent deacons, and 479 religious sisters and brothers.

Related Links:

• Letter from Bishop Fabbro
• Diocese of London
• St. Peter’s Cathedral Basilica

(CCCB-Ottawa) – The Publications Service of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has launched its online service allowing customers to browse its catalogue, order and pay for their selections in a secure environment.

Some 500 titles are available in English and French by going to www.cccbpublications.ca/ or www.cccb.ca/.   With the help of an easy-to-use search engine, visitors can quickly find publications that suit their interests and needs in such areas as liturgy, child and adult faith education, sacramental preparation and more. The online service will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A practical and simple guide will aid customers in viewing their selections and completing the ordering and purchase process.  Customers will also be able to compile a personalized list of publications that interest them for future reference and share this list with family, friends and colleagues.

Any questions or comments on the CCCB Publications website maybe be forwarded to 1-800-769-1147, 613-241-7538 or by email to publi@cccb.ca.

You can visit the site by clicking here.

(CCCB-Ottawa) — Rev. Raymond Lafontaine, a diocesan priest from Montreal, has received the Harvest Award, September 12, 2004, from the National Religious Vocation Conference (NRVC), for his “exceptional contribution” in fostering vocations in North America.

The 40-year old priest was given the award for his role as Canadian co-director of the 3rd Continental Congress on Vocations, held in Montreal in 2002. The award is given every two years by the American-based NRVC made up of 1300 members, composed mainly of vocations directors from religious communities. Father Lafontaine is the first Canadian to receive this prestigious award.

The North American Vocations Congress was held at the request of the Vatican and jointly organized by the Canadian and American episcopal conferences. The event brought together over 1200 participants from all over North America to discuss vocations. The fruits brought forth from thousands of consultations in every corner of North America and the Congress itself resulted in the publication of a pastoral guide on vocations that has sold over 15,000 copies to date. Father Lafontaine coordinated the production of this pastoral plan that is an essential resource in encouraging and sustaining Christian communities in their mission of fostering a thriving “vocations culture” in the Church.

Conversion, Discernment, Mission: Creating a Vocation Culture in North America is available through the Publications Service of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) at: www.cccbpublications.ca.

Related Link:

• National Religious Vocation Conference

(CCCB-Ottawa) In its annual message for the family, the Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF) invites youth, parents, pastors and educators to rediscover the exceptional good news of the Christian family as the first school of life and faith.

“The family is a little church, a sanctuary of life, a domestic church, a church at home, a mysterious presence of the living God,” the message states. “The good news, then, is that God is with us in our daily lives, in our hearts and in our homes.”

Entitled The Christian Family: Good News for the World, the message celebrates the Christian family as being open to life and serving others. “In family life, humans agree to allow other people into their lives as they themselves enter the lives of others. They leave behind the pursuit of independence to embrace interdependence.”

The colourful six-page leaflet is a useful tool for those involved in sacramental preparation, religious education, youth and family ministry, retreats and parish celebrations of the family. Copies of the message are available from COLF by telephoning 1-613-241-9461, ext. 161; email: ocvfcolf@cccb.ca; or on the COLF website in electronic format: The Christian Family: Good News for the World.

COLF was jointly founded by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) and the Knights of Columbus to promote respect for human life and dignity and the essential role of the family.

Related Links:

• Catholic Organization for Life and Family
• Knights of Columbus

(CCCB-Ottawa) On September 9, 1984, Pope John Paul II became the first Pope to set foot on Canadian soil, when the papal aircraft landed at the airport in Quebec City.

Already an accomplished traveler, the Pope was on his 24th pilgrimage (since then he’s been on over 100 worldwide). Wherever he went during his 12-day cross-Canada visit, great crowds flocked to him.

With his arrival on September 9 in the Quebec City suburb of Ste. Foy, the Holy Father began a 15,000-kilometre marathon that took him from the Atlantic to the Pacific. When the visit ended on September 20, he had visited Quebec City, Trois-Rivières, Montreal, St. John’s, Moncton, Halifax, Toronto, Midland (Ontario), Winnipeg/St. Boniface, Edmonton, Yellowknife, Vancouver and Ottawa/Hull. In some of those cities, he visited major Canadian pilgrimage sites: Sainte-Anne de Beaupré, Cap-de-la-Madeleine, St. Joseph’s Oratory and the Canadian Martyrs Shrine in Midland.

Millions of Canadians turned out to greet the pontiff, pray with him and to celebrate, many of them deeply moved by his words and presence. A good example of this was on September 11, 1984, where tens of thousands of young people crowded Montreal’s Olympic Stadium to see and hear the Holy Father.

Speaking in English and in French, the Holy Father made more than 30 major addresses as well as many other statements. He spoke of themes that are still dear to him today, and which he has strongly supported throughout his 26-year pontificate: solidarity, justice, peace, the place of youth, Jesus Christ as a beacon of hope, and many more.

Since 1984, the Bishop of Rome has returned to Canada twice. In September 1987, John Paul II returned to meet the people of Fort Simpson in the Northwest Territories, since during his first visit in 1984, severe weather conditions had forced the cancellation of this portion of the trip to visit with Aboriginal Peoples from the North.

Two years ago, the Holy Father came back to Canada to honour his promise to young people to meet with them for World Youth Day 2002, in Toronto. During the closing celebrations, more than 800,000 people faced strong winds and rain to pray in his presence. This was the largest single gathering in Canadian history. The Pope spent six days in and around Toronto, meeting with young people from around the world.

(CCCB-Ottawa) Most Rev. Paul J. O’Byrne, Bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Calgary, died September 2, 2004, at the age of 81. He served as Bishop of Calgary from 1968 until his retirement in 1998.

Born in Calgary, Alberta, on December 12, 1922, he was ordained to the priesthood in 1954 after completing his theological training at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Edmonton. He served in many parishes throughout the Diocese of Calgary including Calgary, Medicine Hat, Banff and Schuler.

He was active within the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), serving in many episcopal commissions including twice as chairman of the Social Affairs Commission.

A prayer service will be held Tuesday evening, September 7, at 7:30 p.m. at Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Calgary, with the funeral Mass celebrated at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 8 to be presided by Bishop Fred Henry, Bishop of Calgary.

The Bishops’ Collection for the Needs of the Church in Canada will be held in most parishes on Sunday, September 26, 2004. All parishes across the country have received a leaflet explaining the Collection. The Communications Service of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), which prepares the material for the collection campaign, is making the information in the pamphlet available online so that parishes can use the material in their church bulletins, and diocesan communications offices and Church media may use the material to promote the collection.

How to use this leaflet

This leaflet has been designed to allow the easy reproduction of the texts it contains. The interior portion has been produced in black and white in an 8 ½ x 14-inch format to allow photocopying for distribution to parishioners during Masses on September 26. The items on the different activities of the CCCB are short and can be used in bulletins, either individually or in pairs during the month of September. Each item could be used with the CCCB logo. All texts in this leaflet are also on the CCCB website in electronic format. The items include:

• Message by the CCCB President, Archbishop Brendan M. O’Brien
• The CCCB and its Activities
• Articles for Parish Bulletins (4)
• Facts about the CCCB
• CCCB Logo (English, French and bilingual)

The leaflet is also available in its original PDF format (Adobe Acrobat Reader is required).

For more information on the Collection for the Needs of the Church in Canada, please contact cecc@cccb.ca.